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Another rough day at TikTok. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo promoted unity against China in an address to the US-India Business Council Ideas Summit and singled out India’s recent banning of TikTok for commendation. Pakistan is also nearing a TikTok ban, and a bill that prohibits the app from US government devices is moving ahead. Meanwhile, US-based investors are reportedly looking to acquire the app (paywall) from its parent company, ByteDance.
Pompeo follows up yesterday’s remarks later today with a policy speech slated to address the forced closure of the Chinese diplomatic consulate in Houston and China’s threats of retaliation over the move, which the country’s foreign ministry said has led to bomb and death threats directed towards China’s DC embassy.
The EU released a report on Hong Kong’s autonomy. The report covers the events of 2019 and anticipates a coordinated European response to the new national security law. Meanwhile, France condemned China’s actions against Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the UK unveiled more details of its citizenship offer to Hong Kongers.
Slack filed an antitrust complaint against Microsoft. Slack’s European Commission filing claims that Microsoft’s bundling of its Teams product with the Office software suite is illegal. South of Brussels, Italian Apple and Amazon offices were searched for evidence of anticompetitive Beats headphone sales, with Apple also releasing a new study defending its App Store commissions ahead of a US congressional hearing next week. Across Europe, Fiat offices were also raided over potential diesel emissions fraud.
The window for China’s Mars mission is open. A launch of the Tianwen-1 orbiter, lander, and rover could blast off as soon as today. A successful mission would make China just the third country, after the US and Soviet Union, to land on Mars.
Indians are switching to swill
When India’s lockdown ended, long queues at liquor shops rapidly developed across the country. To tamp down demand and reduce crowds, many states added additional taxes to alcohol.
Some of the taxes are still in place and it’s affecting demand. According to a survey by LocalCircles of residents in Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Telangana:
🍺 About half say they’re considering cheaper options because of the tax.
🍻 Only respondents in Rajasthan said they would buy more liquor if the additional fees were lifted.
🚚 Most people would order alcohol for delivery if it was allowed.
On an average, India’s states and union territories collected about ₹150 billion ($2 billion) in monthly taxes from the sale of liquor in 2019. In June, tax collection from the sale of alcohol in states like West Bengal were less than 10% of 2019 levels.
Charting global bank losses
Losses at global banks are projected to soar by $926 billion to $2.1 trillion through 2021, according to Standard & Poor’s. Almost $400 billion of that increase is forecast to come from Chinese institutions, compared with a $360 billion increase for those in North America and Western Europe combined.
China’s outsize losses (✦ Quartz member exclusive) reflect the sheer size of its mammoth banking sector which, in terms of customer loans, is as big as the US, Japanese, German, and UK systems combined, say S&P analysts.
✦ For members: Diversity as a competitive advantage
Dating and relationships are a common conversation topic for many coworkers—but particularly so at S’More, a New York City-based dating app founded last year.
The app’s head of operations, Sneha Ramachandran, recalls one eye-opening exchange she had with her teammates about cultural norms surrounding the questions people ask each other on dates. One woman explained that in her home country of South Africa, it’s common to ask early on whether the other person has been tested for HIV. For Ramachandran, who’s originally from India, “if someone asked me that, I would be so offended—that was my bias.”
Find out more about how diversity serves as a competitive advantage at S’More and how design choices can help combat bias in our field guide to creating an antiracist company.
✦ Get your own competitive advantage—with access to all our articles, presentations, field guides, and workshops—by signing up for a Quartz membership, now 40% off.
We’re obsessed with sunscreen
Sunscreen protects the skin from the undesirable effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (or UV) light—namely, sunburns. Constant exposure to the sun or a handful of intense burns can lead to melanoma. But in an effort to push back against the tanning industry, dermatology associations have made blanket statements that everyone needs sunscreen any time they venture outside. Turns out, the science is a little more complicated than that. Apply another layer (of knowledge) with the Quartz Weekly Obsession.
Surprising discoveries
Scientists may have found a cancer crystal ball. A new blood test was able to detect some cancers up to four years before patients had symptoms.
Rubber glove mania is sweeping Malaysia. The country’s stock market has outperformed the world’s major exchanges, thanks in part to an investor frenzy over glove companies.
Did a teacher ever crush your spirit? You might be eligible for the Satanic Temple’s new college scholarship.
A video game musical director used Morse code to hide a pro-Hong Kong message in a song. The discovery led to his resignation and the removal of the app in mainland China.
Typos can be a matter of life and death. A minor misspelling tipped off authorities that a death certificate used in an attempt to dodge likely jail time was in fact a fake.
Editor’s note: A few readers reached out about some of the language in yesterday’s Brief, specifically “Houston, we have a Chinese problem” and a description of a new women’s soccer team as “the hottest new accessory.” We appreciate your feedback, and thank you for reminding us to choose our words more carefully. 🙏
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, satanic scholarship applications, and musical coded messages to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our app on iOS and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by David Yanofsky, John Detrixhe, Katherine Ellen Foley, Liz Webber, and Max Lockie.